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Questions on villages, towns and cities are typical in the Aptis tests. In Part One you have to talk about yourself and your life, and describing your hometown is very common, with prompts like ‘Tell me about where you live’.
These questions also often come up in Part Three, when you have to compare two photos, for example a big city and a little village. You then have to answer two more questions related to the same topic, often based on your experience or your preferences. (For help in expressing your preferences and saying what you like and don’t like, go to 50+ Useful Phrases.)
So let’s have a look at some useful vocabulary and expressions for describing your hometown. Here are some example questions and answers.
Where do you live?
I live …
- in the city centre
- in an inner-city area
- in a residential area outside town
- in the suburbs, quite far from the centre
- in a village on the outskirts of the city
- in a small town in the countryside
What facilities are there in your hometown?
There’s / There are …
- some lovely parks, squares and other public spaces
- a good public transport system
- rental bikes and scooters and bike lanes to ride them in
- a modern shopping centre / mall
- fashionable boutiques and craft markets
- supermarkets, hypermarkets and retail parks
What is there to do in your hometown?
You can go to …
- lots of tourist attractions
- historical places of interest
- cinemas and theatres
- museums and art galleries
- lively bars and restaurants
- pavement cafes / terraces
Here’s a glossary in case there are any words you don’t know.
Glossary for describing your hometown
inner-city: the central part of a city where people live and where conditions are often poor
in the suburbs: the outer area of large towns and cities where many people live
on the outskirts: further outside town
hometown: the place where you were born and/or grew up
public spaces: areas in a town or city that are open to the public
public transport system: public vehicles such as buses and trains that operate at regular times on fixed routes
rental bikes: bicycles you can pay to use
bike lanes: parts of the pavement or road reserved for bikes and scooters
shopping centre: an area consisting of multiple shops
shopping malls: large indoor shopping centres
boutiques: clothes shops
retail park: large shopping centre outside the town or city
tourist attraction: a place of interest to tourists
places of interest: buildings or places that are attractive to visitors
lively bars/restaurants: bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere
pavement cafe or terrace: cafe with tables outside on the pavement
Good luck in your exam!
